Back in my event-promotion days, I remember sometimes getting frustrated at the lackluster turn-out of some events –both my own, and those of my friends. I wished that I could just get up in front of the entire city and say, “HEY EVERYBODY!! THIS IS WHO I AM, THIS IS WHAT I DO… TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!!”

Well… you have that opportunity. Every time you hit the stage. Whether you in front of a crowd of twenty, two-hundred, or twenty-two hundred –whether you are promoting light opera, hard rock, hip-hop, or soul, you need to plug plug plug.

Don’t be afraid to sound like a sell-out, used appliance salesman, or worst yet –desperate. Be sincere and honest. Tell people who you are, tell them how to get to your website, and tell them that you have lots of really awesome merchandise for sale. You can even tell them how selling merchandise helps you keep making music.

Sure, doing this can feel funny. I’m willing to bet it’s because you know how much money you are making off of each sale, and because most people in America fee uncomfortable asking strangers for a favor.

Being in front of an audience is the best way to get their attention. Use it to your advantage!

I like to follow a simple little formula I call the “MDM” (Merch, Dates and Me).

• STEP 1: Open your show with an introduction explaining who you are, where you will be playing next and/or website, and mention that you have things for sale
• STEP 2: Make sure you drop your group’s name and/or website at least once during the performance (between songs, obviously)
• STEP 3: Repeat everything again at the end of the show; your name, your website and/or future events, and your merchandise.
• STEP 4: Most Importantly: When you are off stage, make a B-line for the merch table -Even be the one taking money.

Even James Brown got an introduction before he went on stage, so don’t be shy. Whether you do the whole thing or have an MC do all or part of it, you NEED an intro. The purpose of mentioning merch and contact info at this stage is to plant a seed for later, at the end of the show. People are forgetful, especially if your audience has been drinking. Even if there is no alcohol AT the show… don’t discount people’s ingenuity in finding ways to get a drink or two in the system. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. The post-show (or post-set) announcement is the final one that people listen to. Make it short, sweet, and informational. If you have a website/myspace, get business cards (or similar) printed up and have a stack of them at the merch table. This will help people remember how to find you.

The final step gets its own paragraph. It’s THAT important! GO TO THE TABLE AND RUN, DON’T WALK! People want to see you, thank you, talk to you, touch you, have your children, whatever. You can hide in your insecurity back-stage (which does nobody ANY good), you can go get swarmed by the stage (which usually means you can’t move until the house is cleared out), or you can attract thousands of screaming fans (or all five of them) to the place that makes money for you… the merch table. If you start actively selling the merch, :

1. You’ll see them buying merch, thus they feel like you know they’re helping you out. Be sure to say thank you. This would be an EXTRA super time to be the “cool kid” and hand out a couple freebies (stickers/buttons/perhaps the odd CD) –both because people like free things, and because it’s a great way of saying “thanks for showing up and extra thanks for supporting us financially!”
2. The only way to talk to you is to have a CD or T-shirt + Cash in-hand
3.  People may feel a lot better about parting with their money because it gives you that oh, so sought-after “Indie Vibe”… Let the big stars pay random people $5.95/hour to sell sell sell. You’re mingling with the masses, meeting people and making friends. Remember: fan-loyalty is all about relationship. The closer they feel to you, the better. It’s more personal, more credible, and it makes supporting your cause a lot easier for them.

I recently spoke with Sam Underkofler of Q-Public, who said that he will walk aroud the venue with merch in hand, asking people if they want to buy any. That may be a little direct for some, but it gets the job done.

It all boils down to one main point: If you want to Plug-in to fame and fortune, it all starts with a simple plug plug plug (MDM: Merch, Dates, Me).